Reflective Essay 2

A taste of Englcom

Three months have gone by, how time flies so quickly. I didn’t notice that this was the last day of Englcom. Imagine meeting four times a week, one and a half hours per meeting for three months. Englcom was already part of our system; it’s going to be hard and terribly sad without it.

At first I thought to myself that Englcom would be a piece of cake, wherein I wouldn’t have that much trouble in composing essays, but I was mistaken. Englcom certainly tested our ability in reading and more on writing. It made sure that we left the course leaving as better writer than we were when we started. This wasn’t achieved in an essay and carefree manner. It took us three months to be molded into better writers through continuous writing activities that challenged our thinking capacity and really worked our hand out, thus resulting to callous rather than muscles. By writing those seven essays; now eight, we learned the techniques one must be equipped with to become a good writer.

I entered this class thinking that I didn’t need it, that I was fully trained and equipped with all the writing techniques that the subject was to teach. After receiving the results of my first reflective essay I realized that I had much to improve on and that this course would really help me in achieving that. Some of the mistakes I needed improvement were my grammar, word selection, use of punctuation marks, organization of thought and vocabulary. I think I can say first hand that I have improved greatly. The numerous essays we were told to write helped in doing this. Every time I was given my paper back I would really review the corrections my classmate would make and what Ms. Kathy would comment on my paper too. Even though I knew that everyone had a smiley face on his or her papers too, I would still be extra happy if I get more than one smiley face on my paper. The way our writing activities were planned out was also very helpful. Peer counseling at first was kind of embarrassing; having your classmate read your paper and judge it wasn’t my thing. But after experiencing doing it and realizing that the activity wasn’t meant for embarrassment but to help us grow as writers, I was comfortable in doing it again.

I feel that all my expectations were met in this subject. I was really surprised when we had the activity wherein we were suppose to write instruction on how to make a peanut butter sandwich and have the chosen pair demonstrate it in front of the whole class, it was like home-ec class but better! The readings we had too were very interesting, ones I haven’t heard of. I especially like the German version of Cinderella, where on can appreciate how a writer can make the nicest of stories into a morbid, dark story. This taught me that ones imagination is a very strong weapon and a good writer must have this to make his or her stories come to life. Creativity is also something one must acquire to become good writers. Through the activities we had in Englcom I learned theses lessons.

Though Englcom is already over, it will still remain with us until we leave college because the lessons it has taught us would imprinted in us forever. Ebglcom would be a really big help in college and in the future. I am truly thankful that we were forced to take the subject and that I had a wonderful instructor, Ms. Kathy, that made this subject even better than it was supposed to be.

Reflective Essay 1

Reflective Essay

When I was young I didn’t care for reading so much; instead, I would spend all my time doing other extra-curricular activities such as sports, acting, dancing, and the like. Reading for me was something boring that only smart or old people would do. Other than my disinterest in reading, my parents never encouraged me to read books but instead allowed me to buy video or audio books on novels and stories I had to read for school.

As I got older, I realized the importance of reading. The first book that I finished from cover-to-cover was the novel “The Giver” which was a requirement for school. I had a hard time understanding the story at first especially the symbolisms used. I felt as if I was a 1-year-old learning my A, B, Cs for the first time. As time went by, pages flipped over and over., I became more engrossed about a story of a town which was governed by an authoritarian government. I then realized that I enjoyed reading books, especially those which were interesting and which I had something to get out of. From then on, I started reading novels- mostly classics- written by great authors of the olden times like my favorite Jane Austin. Though at times, I still have a hard time understanding some symbolisms in books. What I do is I try to read the stories slowly so that I would fully understand the novel and grasp its idea.

I feel that I have an edge in reading and writing in English because I have been fully trained in school to do so. I also come from a family of writers which is a good and bad thing at the same time. It is good in a way that I gain extra knowledge about understanding certain things relating to the English language and I get to practice speaking in English daily. On the other hand, I too find it hard being part of a family of journalists in a sense that I sometimes have a hard time talking or expressing thing to them because I get criticized most of the time. I do believe that I have to work on my reading and writing techniques so I can improve and become a better writer. I also feel that I have to work on my speed when reading and try to finish reading the books as fast as I can while understanding it fully. In writing, I feel that I can improve on my vocabulary and my spelling because I believe those are my weakest points. Other than that, my organization of thought must be improved on.

I am expecting Englcom to be a fun and tedious subject- fun because we would hopefully be reading interesting articles, while at the same time tedious because of the numerous papers that we would be writing. I’m expecting that we would get to have group works and other fun activities to take the stress away from the following papers we would have to accomplish. I, too, expect that this class would help make my reading and writing skills excel and that the whole class would have a fun time in this subject. I expect to have a hard time writing the numerous amounts of papers but I still hope that I would be inspired at one point in accomplishing them all. This subject would be a tremendous help to me and everyone taking this subject to submit great works that are worth reading. Through this course I do believe that this would help me in my future subjects. Based on the syllabus of this course, I feel that my skills in reading and writing would improve greatly if I do my best and work hard in this subject. Other that this, I feel that this course would help me in the future especially when working with intelligent people which I wouldn’t have to be intimidated by them because of reading and writing skills that are at the same level as theirs. I believe that I would learn a lot from this course and it would really help me now until the future.

Argumentative Essay- Pornography: Effects on Society

Pornography:

Effects on Society

Pornography, as taken from the 1986 Attorney General Commission on pornography, is a material that is “pre dominantly sexually explicit an intended primarily for the purpose of sexual arousal.” Pornography is a high earning business in the United States and in other countries. According to an article entitled “ Pornography by Kerby Anderson”, in the U.S. the number of adult stores that sell pornographic products even outnumber the number of McDonalds restaurants. Though illegal in most countries, different forms of pornographic materials are available to the public in the form of videocassettes, soft porn magazines, audio porn and on cable TV. Although it is said that pornography has its advantages, showing signs of therapeutic effects in society; I still stand on the fact that pornography should not be legalized in the Philippines and even in other countries because, (a) pornography may have a psychological effect leading to violence; (b) it degrades the morality of women; and lastly (c) it is against the Catholic religion.

The availability of pornography in our world today contributes to the dangers happening in our society. Due to this, criminals such as rapists, pedophiles and killers would have the chance to view pornographic materials and these may trigger their sexual desires, which would possibly lead them to committing sexual crimes to fulfill their fantasies. In the article “Pornography”(Anderson), based on psychotherapist David Scott’s findings “half of the rapists used in the study were found out to have used pornography to arouse themselves immediately prior to seeking out a victim.” This proof shows that pornography may be a key ingredient in the makings of a sexual predator. Though others may this believe that pornography does not contribute to rape and men are just insensible about rape to begin with, won’t the availability of pornography just fuel the desire of men to act out their sexual fantasies?

Pornography is available to both genders, male and female, but there is a higher market for male consumers. Because of this, the content of most pornographic materials consist of pictures, and videos of women. This form of arousal for men degrades the morality and dignity of women. According to some experts, some women consider pornography as their source of living and that it is also a form of art and expression. It does not take away the perception of men about women because of this. Pornography’s portrayal of women is awful and degrading. This generalizes all women to be this way, as what is shown or seen by men in pornographic materials. Due to this, men tend to be disappointed because not all women are like the ones ion pornographic materials and tend to be more aggressive towards women, (leaderu.com/orgs).

In the Philippines, almost 90% of its population is composed of Roman Catholics. The Bible, the holy book of Catholics, states that God’s gift of sexual intercourse was for the main purpose of procreation which happens after a man and woman unites through marriage (1 Cor 7:2-3). Because of sin in the world, sex has been misused and abused. Most of us forget about the importance and intimacy of sex. By using pornographic materials for our sexual pleasure, we disobey God’s command of keeping ourselves pure. Sexual immorality is achieved when one is caught up in thought regarding sex, which is considered condemned.

We could see that there are experiments and researches supporting the legalization of pornography and its contributions to society, we could still say that the legalization of pornography would still do greater harm to the society than good it can contribute. By stating all these facts, I firmly stand on my belief that pornography should not be legalized.

Reference list:

Anderson, K. (n.d.). Pornography. Retrieved December 3, 2009 from

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/porno.html

Reflection:

The last essay was average in difficulty. I think by having the debate and sticking with the topic we debated on was a good idea. By having the debate I got some key information from both parties and that made my essay stronger. I think that my topic was a bit risqué and that it would grade the reader’s attention. My essay stated a lot of valid facts about the topic. I think one of the tings my essay misses is the advantageous side of the topic. I should have shown the pros of my topic and how it could help society.

Definition Essay- An indefinable feeling

An Indefinable Feeling

One of the first few words in a person’s vocabulary is the word love. Love may be interpreted in so many ways, may be linked to numerous people, objects and events, and may be used with different meanings. But what is the true meaning of love? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, love is an intense affectionate concern for another person, a strong liking or enthusiasm for something, a beloved person, and the list goes on. Though there are numerous meanings and definitions of love, no one can really define the word love. Therefore, love is an indefinable feeling for a living or non-living thing.

Love may come in different forms, may it be love for parents, love fore friends, love for pleasure, love for material things, love for God, and many alike. Parental love, the love for parents, may be the first love a human being feels. From the time the child is conceived till the time the child has died, there is a special bond between the child and the parent. For nine months, the child is connected to the mother through the umbilical cord, which serves as the source of living of the fetus. Through this cord, there is a physical attachment, which is formed between mother and child. The physical attachment leads to the emotional attachment one feels; combining these two results in the feeling of love.

The word love may be related to different emotions. Love may be directly related to happiness. When one experiences love, he/she feels the emotion of happiness, like a weight is lifted from him/her and all worries are gone. Love also brings the sense of belongingness. When one is loved, he/she becomes part of a group, which brings companionship. Loyalty is a main part of love. Being loyal to a single or a group of people is important in keeping one’s love strong. Though one may love a lot of things, the love he gives to each should be true. Compassion is also a word that can be related to the word love. Through one’s compassion, he/she is able to show how important a person or thing is through giving affection and interest.

Different forms of love may result in stronger bonds. The love of a mother for her child may result into a closer and more intimate relationship. This parental love is a way for a mother to show greater understanding of her child’s well-being and awareness of what’s happening in her child’s life. The love of two people, for example a married couple, may result in conceiving another human being and giving life to it. This form of love leads to the greater connection, which is seen in the form of trust, communication and affection between the two people. The act of giving life to another human being results in parental love a parent would feel, especially a mother, to his/her child. Finally, the love for God results in the strengthening and belief in one’s faith, thus, having a more intimate connection with God.

With all these examples and definitions stated, we can say that love is a broad and an elusive concept but still is one of the most used words in the dictionary. Though one may not really know the true meaning of love, whatever the definition they give, as long as it falls under the affection for something, this may be considered love.

Reference list:

Merriam-webster online dictionary. Retrieved November 30, 2009 from

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love

Reflection:

Out of all the essays we had to write, I think writing the descriptive essay was the hardest. First of all, the topic I chose was so broad it was so hard to describe. Secondly, I didn’t really get to understand how writing a descriptive essay should be. I think that my essay is a bit confusing and that there is no main idea. The organization of thought to was a bit messy. If I was given the chance to change my topic, I would. If not I think that sticking with one main idea for the subject would make my paper less confusing than it is now.

Cause and Effect Essay- Government warning: too much television is dangerous to your health

Government Warning:

Too much Television is Dangerous to your Health

For some, television would be considered by far one of the most ingenious inventions ever invented by man. By saying this, several television sets would be found in every household, including those of the less fortunate people. People watch television for all kinds of reasons, may it be to expand their knowledge, waste time, or escape reality; but the main reason why people spend so much time glued to the television is for the sole purpose of their entertainment. Though television may be helpful and advantageous to us humans in so many ways, too much of this is still bad and may be hazardous to our health resulting in physiological and psychological effects.

The effect of watching television can be classified into two main categories; physiological effect and the psychological effect. The first category; physiological effect, deals with the effects our body undergoes. An example of a physiological effect that our body undergoes because of too much television is eyestrain. Television emits wavelengths that when watching for a long time may be harmful to our eyes. The time and distance when watching television is important to remember for one to avoid straining the eyes which can lead to headaches. The rapid flickering and changing of colors can also contribute to eye strain when watching too much television. Another physiological effect is obesity. Due to watching too much television one has the habit of becoming lazy. With this, television viewers prefer to eat while watching and prefer food that is easier to eat like TV dinners and junk food. According to a 1989 study by Larry Tucker at Brigham Young University taken for the article “TV watching- pros and cons” states that “Men who watch television three on more hours a day are twice as likely to be obese than men who watch for less than an hour.”

Too much television also affects the psychological aspect of a person. Because of what is seen by viewers on TV, they try to portray these actions in real life, thinking that all these are normal and would not be harmful to anyone. This psychological effect is seen mostly in children and teenagers. Violence, aggression, sex, substance abuse, the use of foul language are some of the things that kids and teenagers are able to watch on TV and try to emulate. (findarticles.com) By parents allowing their children to watch these kinds of shows on TV, this will affect the mental capability of a child to differentiate right from wrong. Television also affects the ability of a person to use his/her creativity and imagination because television does all the work for the viewers.

Though television may be helpful in learning new things especially for those not capable of experiencing things first hand, there is still a limitation to everything. As we said, too much of something is never good; one must know his/her limitations so that one would not be addicted to something and would lessen the risk that an addiction may bring.

Reference list:

Too much tv is hazardous. (2001). Retrieved November 2009 from

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NHF/is_4_19/ai_86743857/?tag=content;col1

Tv watching: pros and cons. (n.d). Retrieved November 2009 from

http://www.myfavoriteezines.com/articles/TV-watching-pros-cons.html

Reflection:

Writing this essay required a lot of research and full understanding of the topic. This essay was a bit heavier than the other due to the research that had to be done and the length on the essay. Writing this essay made me more aware of my topic and made me more knowledgeable about it. This essay time constraining but once you have all the facts and information about the topic you are writing about, it would be very easy to write. I feel that if I were given the chance to rewrite my essay I would improve my choice of word and I would site more information about my topic that is not known by a lot of people.

Comparison and Contrast Essay- Surf spots in the Philippines: San Juan, La Union and Cloud Nine, Siargao

Surf spots in the Philippines:

San Juan, La Union and Cloud Nine, Siargao

When one hears the words surfing, he/she thinks of places like Hawaii, Bali and Australia, but not a lot of people know that there are places in the Philippines where people can surf too. There are a couple of places in the Philippines where people can enjoy the sport surfing, but the two main surf spots are San Juan, La Union and Cloud Nine, Siargao. These places, especially during summer, are packed with tourists and surfers- beginners and pros alike. To really know which surf spot to go to between the two, one must consider the following factors: location, surf schools, and surf season.

If one is planning to go on a surf trip but he/she lives in Metro Manila or within Luzon, the best surf spot to go to is San Juan, La Union. San Juan is about a seven-hour drive from Metro Manila. Though the most common means of transportation to get there is by car, people have the option to take a bus or plane to get there too. San Juan is known for their beachfront hotels and surf schools. San Juan is the best place to go to if one is just learning or wanting to learn how to surf because of the numerous surf schools and instructors available, like the most popular surf school- The Billabong surf school. Surf season begins in September and ends in January because this is the time when the waves are high, reaching 8 ft max and several professional surfers come here to surf. Though summer is not part of the surf season, a lot of people still go to San Juan to learn and experience surfing even if the waves only reach 3ft max. If one is really interested in learning how to surf and wants a one-on-one lesson on surfing, San Juan, La Union is the best place to go.

Another surf spot in the Philippines other than San Juan, La Union is Cloud Nine. Cloud Nine is part of an island in Surigao named Siargao. To get there, one must first take a plane or ferry to Surigao, then take the Super Cat to the island of Siargao. Upon arriving, shuttle buses are available to take you to Cloud Nine, which would take around an hour to get there. Cloud Nine is the surf spot in the Philippines, which has the biggest waves reaching 8ft max. Due to the size of the waves, it is not safe for beginners to surf here. There are no surf schools available in Cloud Nine because of the size of the waves and the grave danger a beginner surfer can experience. Mostly, locals and pro surfers surf the waves of Cloud Nine. The whole year round is considered surf season in Cloud Nine that is why a lot of surfing competitions are held here. Cloud Nine is a surf spot for professional surfers who are looking for big and nice waves like those found in Hawaii.

We could see that it is important to consider the following factors, which are the location, the availability of surf schools and the surf season before planning to go on a surf trip. San Juan, La Union is a place where beginners could learn the sport surfing, while Cloud Nine, Siargao is meant for surfers who have been practicing this sport for a long time and are experienced.

Reflection:

Like the process essay, I found writing the comparison and contrast essay effortless. I was very excited in writing about my topic because the topic I wrote about was something I was truly passionate about. I believe that my essay really expressed what was expected out of a comparison and contrast essay. It showed facts that were really helpful and it showed the difference of the two subjects. The essay I wrote was easy to understand and interesting, especially for readers who are sports junkies. I think that my essay lack more research and that some sources related to my topic would help strengthen my essay.

Static-Descriptive Essay- Road Trip

Road trip

As the sun reaches its peak and the wind becomes more humid than ever, one knows that summer has arrived. Sweat dripping from your body, down to the hard dry pavement signals you that it is time to escape the tremendous heat or try to embrace it by going to the beach. Summer, though it comes with factors that are not really fantastic, still brings us joy because it is the one time in the year where one can be with friends, not worrying about anything and just enjoying life.

For me, the summer of 2008 was by far the best summer yet. Thirteen energized girls itching to be in their colorful bikinis and to lie on the fine, loose grains of sand, were tightly packed like sardines in a mini van that was meant for eight people max. The ride going to La Union was so long that one could sleep the whole ride and wake-up and still would not be in the destination. We all decided that a way to end our boredom is by singing. My friend carefully reached into her enormous bag and got her bright yellow iPod and stuck it to the jack. A deafening blast of music came from the speakers, playing the song “hit me baby one more time by Britney Spears” and in that moment everyone knew that this would be the best summer yet. Everyone in the car started to shout out the lyrics and wildly danced the dance steps, bringing us back tour grade school days where we all met, as we heard the song. After seven long hours in the cramped-up mini van, the whole van jumped up and down with a screeching noise coming from each girls swollen tonsils as the fat sweaty driver annoyingly announced that we have arrived in La Union.

As we reached San Juan, La Union, the sun was at its highest. You could feel the scorching heat of the sun burn you as it touches your skin. The little air that you could feel was sticky, making my long hair coarse and stick to the droplets of sweat going down my neck. Though the sun was hotter than usual, nothing could stop us from getting into the cool blue waters of San Juan. The group of feisty young girls ran out of the mini van, running with all their might to dive in the tempting water. Clothes were flying everywhere as we nearly approached the water. As our bare feet made contact with the dry, coarse sand; you could hear wails of different pitches, crying out as a burning sensation hit the soles of our feet, thus making us run faster to reach the water. The moment our feet reached the water, the pain was washed away and a feeling of relief was with us.

In the middle of the day, you could still see smiles in every face stretching from corner to corner, happily enjoying the sun, water and company. While the others were happily doing their own thing, I decided that it was the right time to surf as the waves were high enough and the water was cleared of other surfers. I rapidly went to this little shack where they keep all the surfboards. The board that I have been using since I started surfing was an 8.9 inch water-cooled board with a yellow base and red trim. As I got my board, I strapped my leash to my leg, hearing the ripping sound of the Velcro as I did it. I carefully got in the water, looking at both sides to see if the coast was clear and if the waters were safe to surf. I hastily paddled my way to the point, feeling the wind on my face and the sun on the back of my legs. The waves at the point were around 3ft, not that high but high enough to surf. As a wave was approaching, I felt a tingling sensation go through my body- the same feeling I felt the first time I learned how to surf. I could not believe that I was surfing again. I stoop up with balance and rode the wave like a pro. My friends back at the shore were so happy to finally see me surf. I felt an adrenaline rush go through my body, what an ecstatic feeling. After riding the wave, my friends felt jealous and decided to join me as well. We surfed the whole day.

As night arrived, our bodies were worked up to the bones. Our legs were like jelly, our arms felt so heavy as if they were paddling forever. To top of the atrocious body pain we were feeling, our skin was burnt to a crisp. Our faces and bodies were lobster- colored and with it, a pain that is too horrible one cannot describe. We all decided that it was time to retire and call it a day. We sluggishly went to our rooms, walking like disabled people, dragging our bodies to reach the room. In the room, bottles of green aloe vera gel covered our side table. Slowly and carefully untying every knot, unhooking every clasp of our bathing suits, we all took a cold shower. The pain was unbearable as the water from the shower hit our skin like a million needles would. We were all ready to hit the sack as we all stopped and recalled the day. Though we were all dying in pain, we realized that it was all worth it and that tomorrow we would do everything all over again.

Reflection:

In this essay I think I had a hard time following the showing-telling format. It was hard to describe something as if the person reading was actually present in the story. I admit that my vocabulary isn’t as broad as those of my block mates and I feel that this was a factor why I found writing this essay quite difficult. Trying to recall the fine details of my story was pretty difficult too thus being the picture I chose was taken 2 years ago. I think that my essay would be better if I got the chance to explain more further some parts of the essay using the showing-telling format.